Saddle soap

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Sossigpoker

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Looking for recommendations for a saddle soap /tack cleaner.
Is it true that glycerine soap isn't actually good for leather tack ?
And what's the best way to clean/treat a saddle that's got wet in the rain ?

Thanks in advance!
 
Renapur. Just clean tack with water then apply the Renapur, awesome stuff. Ref wet tack I would dry it out properly in a warm room then clean as normal. Maybe oil it lightly if required. To me the most important thing would be to properly dry it out so it doesn’t go mouldy when back in usual storage.
 
I've gone through a fair few different types of conditioners for tack and boots. As above, Renapur Balsam is brilliant. I've personally not used it on saddles, but I have used it on boots and it is the best I've tried. Doesn't leave them feeling sticky or dry. I'd patch test as it does darken brown leather slightly, but nothing different to usual.

Re tack cleaners, Carr Day Martin is pretty highly recommended. I've not tried it yet as I'm still working my way through a few old cleaners, but it has a lot of good reviews online.
 
Glycerine saddle soap - an odd hangover from tanning days, soap is used in processing so they just added some glycerine to try and make it less harmful and said it was good to use on tack. And people used it as a one-step, even worse. It's a poor cleanser and poor conditioner, potentially feeds mould if not rinsed off, and causes grease jockeys especially in damper climates.

There are too many products out there that shout about their "good" ingredients but fail to mention they contain solvents or a fair bit of oil. @cremedemonthe makes the BEST conditioner for the thicker leathers that many English saddles are made of, and for strap work, I recommend it to everyone. If you have a calfskin saddle then I would ask the maker, I supply specialist balm from the maker with my calfskin saddles.

For cleaning, it's really only strapwork that gets filthy, and you can use a drop of washing up liquid in the water, which can be hottish, hand hot is okay, by the time you wring the cloth out (not sponge!) it is unlikely to be too hot, and will shift grease better. Use an old fashioned cotton dishcloth as it has the best texture and has the bonus of being way greener than wipes and even than something that gets thrown away periodically. If you really want to use a cleanser it needs to be super gentle, some can strip colour, Effax Leder Combi is pretty good, but do gently rinse off with a squeezed out cloth before conditioning.

Very wet leather - dry slowly away from direct heat, clean when wet, condition when it is still slightly damp as if you leave it to dry fully it will have lost moisture overall.
 
Tronk said:
Renapur. Just clean tack with water then apply the Renapur, awesome stuff. Ref wet tack I would dry it out properly in a warm room then clean as normal. Maybe oil it lightly if required. To me the most important thing would be to properly dry it out so it doesn’t go mouldy when back in usual storage.
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I use renapur as well I have the cleaner and the conditioner it's brilliant stuff I do all my leather boots and shoes with it as well.
 
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